Ke'Ei Beach

Ke'Ei Beach is a hidden gem along the coastline on the Big Island's Captain Cook area. Reaching the beach requires a short drive down a dead end dirt road to a small parking area with enough room for maybe 8 cars. From here, visitors must walk either along the rocky shoreline or down a narrow dirt road restricted for residents' vehicles only to reach the sandy cove beach.

The beach itself is picturesque, with plenty of shallow sandy pools enclosed by rocks near the shore, and wave breaks suitable for surfers further out. Views of Kealakekua Bay lie in the distance, and the dense palm trees lining the shore provide areas of shade that are easy to escape to just above the sandy shoreline.

Relatively few make the drive here, and if parking fills up, the drive in and out can be extremely slow while cars try to find rocky pull outs to park at along the narrow road. However the cove is scenic and distant feeling and worth the trip for those looking to spend a few hours at a more off the beaten path beach.

There are no amenities of any kind here, so plan ahead. The beach lies in a small village with strict rules against camping along the beach or road here.